


Misfortune and Luck

by sneakronicity



Category: Black Widow (Comics), Hawkeye (Comics)
Genre: F/M, Gen, Mostly Gen, hints of shippyness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-19
Updated: 2014-10-19
Packaged: 2018-02-21 20:02:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,636
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2480651
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sneakronicity/pseuds/sneakronicity
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Written for the prompt: "Clint/Natasha, the first time Lucky met Liho."  Exactly what it says on the tin.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Misfortune and Luck

**Author's Note:**

  * For [SugarFey](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SugarFey/gifts).



> I did a tumblr milestone giveaway and the above prompt from SugarFey was the winner! I meant for this to be a quick, fluffy, funny fic but it turned out angstier than I intended. The feels could not be denied.

“You’re gonna be a real good boy for Natasha, okay?” Clint said, raising his eyebrows at Lucky for confirmation.He was crouched down in the hallway right outside of apartment of the person in question, one hand lightly holding the dog’s collar while he kept their eyes level.When Lucky winked at him he grinned and patted his head, no matter that just blinking looked like a wink with only one eye.“Good boy.”The dog proceeded to happily lick Clint’s face just as the door opened.

“You’re late,” Natasha said, though the amusement on her face was obvious as she took in the picture before her.  

Wiping his face on the sleeve of his hoodie Clint got quickly to his feet.“Yeah, sorry.I, uh... car trouble,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck in a way that made it perfectly clear that his tardiness had nothing to do with his driving.  

She let it slide.Stepping back, she held the door open for the two to enter, nodding her head at Clint to signal that it was okay for him to let Lucky go.Releasing the collar, he stepped inside just far enough for Natasha to close the door while the dog bounded in, stopping only briefly to sniff her and nose at her hand before catching a scent that piqued his interest.  

“Thanks for watching him.Kate usually does it but she’s off on another planet or something,” Clint said, shifting his weight a bit awkwardly under Natasha’s searching gaze.He looked like hell, but then when didn’t he recently?Between Avengers gigs, _Secret_ Avengers gigs, protecting his building from tracksuited assholes and strange women showing up out of nowhere to throw his life into turmoil there wasn’t a lot of time left for sleeping.  

Natasha clearly wanted to ask what he was up to, maybe even offer to help, but that wasn’t really how they worked.If he needed help he would ask for it, or if she felt he was in too deep she would just show up, or do what she could behind the scenes.She never had to offer because the offer was always there.“Coffee?” she asked instead, earning a grateful look from Clint.

While they moved to the kitchen Lucky continued his search of the apartment.There was a scent trail starting at the door and moving around the living room.It went to a closed door he couldn’t get past so he backtracked, following it through the kitchen this time and pushing through the humans’ legs as he went.“Hey, watch it,” Clint chided but the dog paid no attention, just passed through and headed back to the living room.“Sorry, he’s not normally like this.He’ll probably settle down soon and sleep most of the time he’s here.”

“It’s okay,” Natasha replied, handing Clint a mug of coffee before pouring one for herself.The remainder went into a travel mug which she also handed him.She couldn’t remember a time she had seen someone look so touched by something so simple.Or by anything, for that matter.She didn’t let it linger. “Just don’t be late to get him.I have a job in two days.”

The moment sufficiently broken, Clint looked down at his coffee before taking a long drink.Sometimes being around Natasha was the most natural thing in the world.She was his oldest friend, his _best_ friend, and they had been through a lot together.Sometimes it was a lot of fun just hanging out together, but sometimes there were moments like these when the air got a little heavier and he couldn’t help but wonder if there was a statute of limitations on second chances.  

_If only it was that easy._

Unfortunately, it wasn’t.Clint’s love life was a smoldering pit of ashes right now, so clearing that all away and starting fresh might not be a bad thing, if only the rest of his life wasn’t such a disaster as well.The bigger hurdle, though, was Natasha. _You should have told her, you idiot.Why the hell did you ever listen to him?_ As far as she knew she was free and clear, but she was missing some very important memories, memories of a man she loved and would probably still be with if Bucky hadn’t decided to be some sort of self sacrificing jerk or whatever his reasoning had been.Clint sort of got it, even if he didn’t agree with it, yet he had kept the secret anyway, and now it weighed on him in these moments, standing between them like a big, mopey elephant that only he could see.  

_Just tell her already!_

“So, Nat, there’s this thing...” he started when a loud whine from the living room interrupted him.Leaving their drinks behind they followed the sound to find Lucky at the window to the fire escape, whining and pawing at the glass.On the other side sat a little black cat, mewling softly though the sound was drowned out.“Looks like he caught a peeping tom,” Clint said with a grin, turning his gaze to Natasha.She was a second too long in putting on a smile, her gaze lingering on the window and her arms instinctively crossing.He grew instantly suspicious.

“There are a few strays that hang around outside,” she explained, snapping her fingers in an attempt to call Lucky away.He gave her the most pitiful whine in reply.

“On the second floor?” Clint asked, edging toward the sofa as inconspicuously as he could.His eyes quickly scanned the surface until he found exactly what he was looking for.Plucking the single black hair from the cushion he turned back to Natasha with a look of triumph.“You have a cat!” he exclaimed delightedly, holding the hair up to her face as proof.

“That’s not my cat,” Natasha responded, swatting his hand away.Pushing past him she took hold of Lucky’s collar and coaxed him away from the window.

Clint took the opportunity to slip past them both. “Right, and that’s not my dog,” he said as he opened the window and scooped the cat up in one hand before cradling it to his chest.Seeing this action Natasha narrowed her eyes at him.

“Clint, put her outside,” she warned.

“Oh, so it’s a _her,_ ” he said, grinning again.She inwardly kicked herself.“You know the sex of all the random cats that hang around on your fire escape?”

Knowing she was caught Natasha huffed in annoyance.“Look, I don’t have time for a pet, alright?Bringing her in will just encourage her.”

Although her words were true, Clint had known her long enough to read further into them, and his grin softened.He knew how hard it was for her to let people in, and how difficult she found it to allow herself to care about anything.This wasn’t about time so much as it was about getting attached.“It’s okay,” he said after a moment, but whether he was speaking to her or the animals wasn’t clear.Lucky was straining at his collar by this time and Clint approached carefully.“He’s really good with other animals.He won’t hurt her.”

“Clint...”

“It’s okay,” he said again, crouching down.“Gently.”The cat cowered slightly in his arms, but Lucky listened and just sniffed at first before softly nudging the black fur with his nose.“What’s her name?” Clint asked quietly, stealing a glance at Natasha.  

Her whole body was tense and she barely breathed as she watched the scene unfold, her hand still tightly gripping the dog’s collar.Finally raising her eyes to Clint’s he could see the uncertainty there, the touch of fear.Slowly she let out her breath.“Liho,” she said, resigned.That had been her big mistake.The second she had named the cat there had been no turning back.

“Liho, this is Lucky,” Clint said, carefully setting the cat down.He half expected it to bolt but instead it seemed to hesitate a moment before rubbing up against Lucky’s legs.Clint smiled.“Lucky, Liho.”

It took another moment before Natasha finally released her hold on the collar, the imprint of the material marking her hand.Slowly she straightened back up, unsure of what to do or say.Part of her was angry at Clint for the whole stunt, but part of her... she couldn’t quite identify what the other part of her was feeling.She should have known that he, of all people, would understand.He wasn’t as dumb as he often pretended to be.“You better get going,” she said finally, heading back toward the door.“Don’t forget your coffee.”

With one last look at the animals, Clint stopped by the kitchen to grab the travel mug before joining Natasha at the door.“If you ever need me to do the same for you...” he offered, leaving it up to interpretation.  

“I’ll let you know,” she replied, the faintest of smiles curling her lips. 

She opened the door for him but before he stepped out he impulsively pulled her into a hug.It was quick but sincere, and he pulled back awkwardly before she could return it.“Thanks, Tasha,” he said, holding the mug up and giving her a lopsided grin before disappearing into the hallway.  

Closing and locking the door behind her she returned to the living room.Lucky had settled down on the floor and Liho was currently standing on his back, kneading his fur before laying down on top of him.If only human interaction was that easy.

Contemplating the scene before her, Natasha picked her cell phone up from the table and sent Clint a text before she could change her mind.

_If you get back early, how about dinner?_

 


End file.
